Absorbent plate or dish



July 5, 1932. R. w. CHAPMAN Q 1,365,742

ABSORBENT PLATE OR DISH Filed Feb. 17, 1950 Patented July 5, 1932 STATES PATENT OFFICE RALPH W. CHAPMAN,

.ABSORBENT PLATE OR DISH Application filed February 17,

This invention relates to articles molded from plastic fibrous material such as wood pulp, the molded article being absorbent, and in particular to a molded article formed as a plate or dish adapted to hold an article of food, such as a pie.

The chief object of the invention is to provide an absorbent plate adapted for use in absorbing moisture from an article such as the bottom crust of a hot pie deposited on the plate after baking, such moisture being the condensate of steam or vapor emanating from the bottom crust, the plate of my invention being characterized by a formation permitting a maximum absorption of moisture by the plate and preventing sogginess of the bottom crust.

Of the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification,-

Figure 1 is a top plan view'of a portlon of a plate embodying the invention.

Figure 2 shows in perspective a fragment of the plate shown by Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 1, showing by dotted lines a portion of a pie.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the figures.

In the drawing, 12 designates the bottom and 13 the marginal curb of a plate of well known form, the bottom having flat top and bottom surfaces, and the curb being annular and inclined relative to the bottom.

The plate is molded by suitable dies from fibrous material, such as wood pulp rendered semi-fluid by water, and subsequently dried and rendered sufiiciently rigid, the completed plate being adapted, when not affected by grease, to absorb moisture caused by the condensation of steam or vapor emanating from a hot baked pie deposited thereon.

A plate thus characterized having a smooth top surface, is well known. Heretofore, however, the entire upper surface of the absorbent late has been smooth and formed to contact with the entire bottom surface of the under crust of a hot pie deposited thereon after baking, the pie having been baked in a non-absorbent plate and transferred while hot to an absorbent plate, whereby it is held for use or 50 sale. Direct contact between the entire bot- 1930. Serial No. 428,9uv.

tom surface of the bottom crust and the entire top surface of the absorbent plate results in such absorption of grease by said top surface and the plate material backing it, as to prevent efieetive absorption thereby of moisture resulting from condensation of steam or vapor emanating from the bottom crust, so that the crust is liable to objectionably retain moisture and become soggy.

My improved plate obviates this objection and is characterized by a diversified top surface including a minor portion provided by the surfaces of spaced projectionsadapted to contact with a bottom crust c, and a major portion intermediate said projections and separated thereby from a bottom crust c deposited thereon, by spaces 14 (Figure 3). The projections are integral with the plate and are preferably elongated ribs 15, joined together as shown by Figures 1 and 2, and forming a grid alternating with sections 16 of said major portion.

It will now be seen that grease from the under crust is absorbed only by the projections and the plate material backing the same, the projections providing only a minor portion of the top surface of the plate, and that the major top surface portion and the plate material backing it, is unaflected by grease and adapted to so effectively absorb moisture emanating from the bottom crust that a soggy condition of the latter is prevented.

The major portion of the plate not only absorbs moisture, but is also maintained in a sufliciently porous condition to permit air to pass through it, thus providing ventilation as well as moisture absorption.

I claim 1. For use in absorbing moisture from an article such as-the bottom crust of a baked pie while the latter is hot, a plate of absorbent fibrous material conforming approximately to said article and having a diversified top surface including a minor portion' provided by-spaced projections adapted to contact with sa id article, and a major portion intermediate said projections and spaced from an article deposited thereon, grease from the article being absorbed only by said projections and plate material backing the same so that grease absorption by the major portion and the plate material backing it is revented, and the entire major portion and 1ts backing is adapted to absorb moisture emanating from the article.

2. A plate as specified by claim 1, said projections being ribs joined together and forming a grid alternating with sections of said mag? portion.

testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

RALPH W. CHAPMAN 

